The Alpine Route, Liechtenstein, Lake Como, Genoa, the French Riviera and back!
In August 2018 I finally took a trip I had on my mind for a few years, following the route below. The drive took us through parts of the famous German Alpine Route, past castle Neuschwanstein, along Lake Constance, through Liechtenstein with its tiny capital Vaduz, for a stop at Lake Como and onwards to Genoa, and finally the coastal beauty of the French Riviera with Monaco, Nice, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez.
In August 2018 I finally took a trip I had on my mind for a few years, following the route on the map above. The drive took us through parts of the famous German Alpine Route, past castle Neuschwanstein, along Lake Constance, through Liechtenstein with its tiny capital Vaduz, into the Swiss Alps, for a stop at Lake Como and onwards to Genoa, and finally the coastal beauty of the French Riviera with Monaco, Nice, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez. Aside from driving a lot, we also walked and hiked quite a bit as my trusty Pedometer app showed.
It was all worth it though and I can definitely recommend the trip. Below is a selection of photos taken along the route.
Macau - The Las Vegas of Asia, but not only
When you're in Hong Kong, it's hard not to consider a trip over to the Macau, the other "Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" just across the South China sea, about 1h by ferry. While often seen as the new gambling capital of the world, the city actually has a little more to offer with its unique Portuguese influences that can at times make you feel like in Europe. Worth the trip and 2 days well spent (including winning at Roulette, as always).
When you're in Hong Kong, it's hard not to consider a trip over to the Macau, the other "Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" just across the South China sea, about 1h by ferry. While often seen as the new gambling capital of the world, the city actually has a little more to offer with its unique Portuguese influences that can at times make you feel like in Europe. Worth the trip and 2 days well spent (including winning at Roulette, as always).
Hong Kong - China, but not really
It was finally time to visit more of Asia, which I still haven't explored enough. Hong Kong seemed like a good starting point as any, with the former British territory now officially being a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The city didn't disappoint, with its unique urban character and plenty of opportunities for photography.
It was finally time to visit more of Asia, which I still haven't explored enough. Hong Kong seemed like a good starting point as any, with the former British territory now officially being a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The city didn't disappoint, with its unique urban character and plenty of opportunities for photography.
Six Senses Zighy Bay - A Musandam Refuge
The Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam Peninsula, named after the small fishing town right next to it, just off the UAE boarder at Dibba, has always been on my list of must see places. This April I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the resort.
The Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam Peninsula, named after the small fishing town right next to it, just off the UAE boarder at Dibba, has always been on my list of must see places. This April I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the resort.
The iPhone X and the Maldives Underwater World
A week of relaxing in the Maldives with some snorkeling and the iPhone X resulted in the shots below - took the phone under water without a case, around 1-2m deep.
A week of relaxing in the Maldives with some snorkeling and the iPhone X resulted in the shots below - took the phone under water without a case, around 1-2m deep. These photos were taken at Jumeirah Vittaveli.
Fujairah - The other side of the UAE
Took a day trip to Fujairah, passing Masafi Town, Dibba, Khor Fakkan and Fujairah City on the way and stopping at Wadi Shawka on the drive back. Time well spent for sure.
Took a day trip to Fujairah, passing Masafi Town, Dibba, Khor Fakkan and Fujairah City on the way and stopping at Wadi Shawka on the drive back. Time well spent for sure.
Sofia - "Grows, but does not age"
Visited another new city this November - the capital of Bulgaria: Sofia. Commonly listed as one of the oldest cities in Europe, it indeed sports some impressive historical sites dotted around in the city, while there is a clear trend towards modernity. The Soviet legacy is slowly becoming a distant past, although it has certainly not yet disappeared from the cityscape. Also had the chance to visit Rila monastery, about 120km into the mountains - a truly impressive sight.
Visited another new city this November - the capital of Bulgaria: Sofia. Commonly listed as one of the oldest cities in Europe, it indeed sports some impressive historical sites dotted around in the city, while there is a clear trend towards modernity. The Soviet legacy is slowly becoming a distant past, although it has certainly not yet disappeared from the cityscape. Also had the chance to visit Rila monastery, about 120km into the mountains - a truly impressive sight.
Armenia - A weekend of history
Spent an amazing weekend in Armenia. Together with Georgia, these two countries present a very unique place on the gateway to Asia, with a rich history and a special atmosphere.
Spent an amazing long weekend in Armenia. As with Georgia, the country offers a very unique atmosphere on the gateway to Asia, with a rich history and amazing landscapes. Really enjoyed exploring it, perfect for a short trip from Dubai.
Singapore & A Day Trip to Bintan (Indonesia)
Had the chance to visit Singapore a second time, more than 10 years after the first visit. Definitely a city I could live in. Only an hour by ferry is the island of Bintan, belonging to Indonesia. Perfect for a day trip and full of peculiar and amazing sights.
Had the chance to visit Singapore a second time, more than 10 years after the first visit. Definitely a city I could live in. Only an hour by ferry is the island of Bintan, belonging to Indonesia. Perfect for a day trip and full of peculiar and amazing sights.
Budapest - 1 Day in Buda, 1 Day in Pest...
Another short city break - this time to the city of Budapest, Hungary on the river Danube. Spent two days in amazing weather exploring this historic place.
Another short city break - this time to the city of Budapest, Hungary on the river Danube. Spent two days in amazing weather exploring this historic place.
Hatta - The Other Side of Dubai
Went to Hatta for a weekend, the old mountain city in the Emirates of Dubai, high up in the Hajar mountains. Worth a visit for sure!
Went to Hatta for a weekend, the old mountain city in the Emirates of Dubai, high up in the Hajar mountains. Worth a visit for sure!
Zanzibar - Island Bliss
The last trip for 2016 took me to Tanzania, more specifically the islands of Zanzibar. This beautiful archipelago just off the east cost of Africa offers a unique mix of Swahili roots, island lifestyle, arabic influences and a rich, albeit troubled history.
The last trip for 2016 took me to Tanzania, more specifically the islands of Zanzibar. This beautiful archipelago just off the east cost of Africa offers a unique mix of Swahili roots, island lifestyle, arabic influences and a rich, albeit troubled history.
Moments of Maldives
10 years after my first trip to the world's lowest country, I was lucky enough to go back to the Maldives. It's definitely a unique place on earth and one that suffers heavily from the downsides of civilization. Go, explore and come back with a more conscious mind.
10 years after my first trip to the world's lowest country, I was lucky enough to go back to the Maldives. It's definitely a unique place on earth and one that suffers heavily from the downsides of civilization. Go, explore and come back with a more conscious mind.
Athens - Old & Older
During Eid of 2016 I spent a few days in Greece, going to Vouliagmeni on the coast and Athens
During Eid of 2016 I spent a few days in Greece, going to Vouliagmeni on the coast and Athens
New Orleans - Leave Your Dignity Behind
Had a free day after HITEC 2016 in the Big Easy and walked around to get some shots.
Had a free day after HITEC 2016 in the Big Easy and walked around to get some shots.
Kerala, India - Three Days of Bliss
Had the opportunity to take a three date trip to Fort Kochi, Kerala in India last week. Absolutely worth it, amazing combination of nature, urbanity and relaxation.
Had the opportunity to take a three day trip to Fort Kochi, Kerala in India last week. Absolutely worth it, amazing combination of nature, urbanity and relaxation.
Georgia - A Week of Different
The full selection of photos I shot during our trip through Georgia, a beautiful and still relatively unknown country. We spent a whole week there, including a few days in the capital Tbilisi, but also in the mountains of Gadauri and Stepantsminda, the eastern wine region in Naparuli, and a few places around Tbilisi, including the historic Mtskheta. We also did a small video travel blog, which could turn out quite funny, will post it soon. This was a spontaneous trip, and it has definitely been worth it.
The full selection of photos I shot during our trip through Georgia, a beautiful and still relatively unknown country. We spent a whole week there, including a few days in the capital Tbilisi, but also in the mountains of Gadauri and Stepantsminda, the eastern wine region in Naparuli, and a few places around Tbilisi, including the historic Mtskheta. This was a spontaneous trip, and it has definitely been worth it.
Also check out the small travel blog video we did here: https://youtu.be/KkgB6e62xbo
Austin - HITEC 2015
Straight from WWDC, I flew on to Austin for HITEC, the world’s biggest hospitality technology show, where iRiS has been exhibiting for the past few years. This was my second, but also last show for the company, since after 3,5 years I’m moving on to new horizons in August.
Team Photo
Flying over the endless planes of the southern USA.
Straight from WWDC, I flew on to Austin for HITEC, the world’s biggest hospitality technology show, where iRiS has been exhibiting for the past few years. This was my second, but also last show for the company, since after 3,5 years I’m moving on to new horizons in August - more on that soon.
But before that, we still had a lot of new product to show and for that reason, the weeks before the show were very intense as always, although this year a lot of the burden was with the great teams I work with.
We had a team of 15 people I think, who stayed scattered across 3 houses in the city - much nicer than hotels. Sunday and Monday were largely spent preparing our stand and making final fixes and tweaks to the applications to get ready for the show on Tuesday.
As always, what we wanted to showcase was on the cutting edge of hospitality technology, and it took until the last minute to get everything perfectly polished and working - a big compliment goes out to my dedicated team for their effort. The highlights of our demos included Mobile Check In, Mobile Door Key, a new Windows based Lobby solution, a redesigned Brand Application and a new responsive Web Guest Service product, all with a number of integrations to third party systems such as the PMS, POS and Room Controls.
In the end, all worked pretty much flawlessly and made for a very impressed hospitality crowd, judging from the feedback I was able to gather. It also felt like we hit some of the general trends at the show - using your phone to check in and as the door key to bypass the Front Desk completely was something that everyone was after. Our excellent position in the space was also evident by the numerous partnerships with large technology companies such as Microsoft, Samsung and Oracle, all of which had iRiS products integrated to their solutions to showcase.
The bar scene in Austin offered a lot of good live music
We also managed to explore the city of Austin a bit, parts of which actually seem quite pleasant. Granted, you get the impression you are in a place with a strong and distinct culture to say the least, but that's always part of the enjoyment of seeing new cities.
HITEC days always end with numerous dinners and parties in the evenings. While we attended the big ones such as the Samsung and Newmarket events, the local bar scene also provided some great alternatives. We were (or maybe I was) particularly lucky with the live music at two of the places we went to - that made the evenings were the rest of the people enjoyed a drink or two or three very enjoyable for me as well, not to mention that it was the last time I got to see some of my colleagues (at least they might not be "colleagues" any more next time) and of course also a few people from other companies, it's a small industry after all.
Everything was over on Friday and I left Austin at 10am in the morning, to arrive back in Dubai on Saturday evening at 8pm - a long journey indeed, but those two weeks were definitely worth the travel time.
The iRiS stand.
San Francisco - WWDC 2015
This year, I had the chance to attend WWDC, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. While the conference is mostly known for its opening day keynote, it’s actually a full week of sessions and events.
This year, I had the chance to attend WWDC, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. While the conference is mostly known for its opening day keynote, it’s actually a full week of sessions and events.
I’ve never thought about attending previously, but this year I got an E-Mail from Apple announcing that registration was open. Knowing that the chances of actually getting a ticket are quite low - they used to sell out in minutes, but since 2014 Apple holds a lottery to assign the around 4000 tickets - combined with the fact that it just takes two clicks to buy a ticket on Apple’s online store, I went ahead and registered. Surprisingly, I found myself waking up to a confirmation E-Mail two weeks later, which meant I had to sort out flights and a hotel. Luckily, I had to be in Austin the week after for HITEC, hence a US trip was already on the cards.
Over the North Pole
I flew in on Emirates from Dubai on Saturday before the conference on the longest flight I took so far - almost 15h. The flight interestingly takes the route over the north pole, another first for me. I arrived on Saturday afternoon and went for a quick walk through the city to get some dinner, before heading back to the hotel early - 11h jet lag was catching up with me.
At the Keynote on Monday.
Having fallen asleep at 6pm and woken up at 2am, I went out to collect my badge early on Sunday morning after a breakfast at the Ferry terminal and got a nice Apple jacket as well. I spent the rest of the day wandering through San Francisco and shopping a bit, before heading to bed early. On Monday, I got up at 5.30 am to stand in line for the keynote - I really wanted to see it live and I knew that not everyone can fit into the room. Judging from what other people said, it probably would have been enough to get there at 8 am or even later as well. Seeing an Apple keynote live was a great thing to have experienced. While nothing groundbreaking was announced, the first 115min were spot on and well executed, with OS X, iOS 9 and watchOS 2 all showing a lot of potential. Personally, I'm very excited about the watchOS, I think the wrist truly has a lot of potential for technology, far more than glasses for instance.
Things got a little out of shape with the Apple Music announcement. That holds true for the presentation itself for sure and remains to be seen for the product. Jimmy Iovine was just not able to bring the point across, followed by Drake, who wasn’t really able to either (but was sporting a cool Vintage Apple jacket). Eddy Cue was his usual self, but spent way too long demonstrating an application that looked overly complex and with no clear focus. I am skeptical if Apple is on the right track here, but agree it was time for them to change something.
The second session of the day was the Platform State of the Union, where Apple’s product people give a deeper dive into some of the announcements of the morning and how they affect developers. Definitely some cool features coming that will no doubt make their way into Apps we are using daily. Lastly, the annual Apple Design awards showcased some of the best apps for iOS and Mac that were released in the past year, among them my favourite calendar App, Fantastical, and a very cool demo of Accessibility within Apps, where two blind Apple Accessibility QA engineers were using the Workflow App. That was truly impressive.
In the evening, I attended two of the many events and parties surrounding WWDC each year. I was a bit late registering for the parties and events, so the RSVP list for many of them was closed. I did manage to get into the Pinterest party - which wasn’t particularly great - but also got an invite from Jim Dalrymple of The Loop to attend his AltBeardBash at the W hotel. Great location and a nice event with Karaoke from some of the more (or less) talented Apple followers in the industry. I also managed to chat to John Gruber of Daring Fireball briefly and secured a spot for his The Talk Show event for the Tuesday - which was absolutely worth it, more on that below.
With Craig Federighi
Tuesday was a day with a few interesting sessions around UIWebView, WebKit, CloudKit and Enterprise deployments - much of them is at just about the right level for me - not being a developer - to still get a lot of value out of them, and addressed a number of points that are relevant for what I am doing in my current job. I also couldn't resist snapping a photo with Craig Federighi - Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, who is gaining fame in the geek world with his appearances at Apple's product introduction keynotes.
Phil Schiller with John Gruber
After the sessions, I headed over to John Gruber’s Talk Show event, who amazingly had Phil Schiller, Apple’s SVP of Marketing and known from many of the presentations, as his interviewee. Funnily enough I had seem him a few minutes earlier at Moscone and he was talking to someone about “walking over” - I had a hunch he might be part of the Talk Show. While the interview wasn’t groundbreaking, it was great to see them discuss some of the recent controversial topics in a somewhat private and casual setting and really shows how Apple's approach to PR has changed in the last years.
My highlight on Wednesday was a presentation by Debbie Sterling called “Think Audacious” about her journey as an Entrepreneur and the goal to bring more women into Engineering and Technology, as well as sessions on Safari and Webkit, since we work a lot on web apps at iRiS, and many of the our ongoing issues are being addressed in the upcoming releases. I also briefly attended Pebble’s / Atlassian’s WWDC party in the evening.
On Thursday, I had to take a care of a few work related things, so could not attend as many sessions as I wanted. I did see the lunch session with Disney's animation legend Floyd Norman, who gave a nice talk around how Disney's techniques evolved over time. In the evening, Apple had its yearly Bash at the Yerba Buena Gardens, with free food and drink as well as a performance by Walk The Moon, which was pretty neat. Surprisingly, developers are actually capable of enthusiastically enjoying a live performance!
Friday was the last day of the conference, with a few interesting sessions, among them new features in UI Dynamics, Notifications and the new system fonts in Apple's Operation Systems. I found topics like UI Dyanmics or the system font were particularly interesting, as many of the concepts involve bring together other disciplines - it's very typical for what Apple calls the intersection of technology and liberal arts. While my knowledge on typography is limited at best, it's easy to take good looking fonts for granted, when in fact there is an incredible amount of thinking, design and research behind them. The lunchtime session was a great talk on planet discovery. It's great that Apple is breaking up the presentations and labs with some broader talks on science, creativity or entrepreneurship.
After a short night's sleep, I headed to the airport to fly over to Austin for HITEC. More on that later. All in all, I'd recommend to attend WWDC at least once to anyone who is working on a product in Apple's ecosystem in some technical capacity. While there is most value for developers, even if you are not actually writing the 1's and 0's there are many sessions and labs that are useful on a higher level. I am not sure I'd fly in from Dubai just for WWDC every year, but since I had to go to the US anyway, it was a no brainer.
Amsterdam - A Photographic Exploration
This May I had to travel to Amsterdam for work for a full week. Having only seen the airport previously, I took the chance to stay over the weekend and spend some time exploring the city. It’s definitely an interesting place with a lot of photo opportunities. I spent 2,5 days exploring the city, largely by foot (I walked almost 70 kilometres). Unfortunately I caught a bad cold early during my stay, so I spent most evenings in bed after work. If I were to compare it to other cities, I’d probably characterise it as a mix between London, Paris and Venezia, although I think it takes more time to truly understand the lifestyle of a place.
Below is a collection of photos from the trip. I’ll point out a few spots that are specifically interesting from a photography perspective, hopefully this may be valuable for others looking for some inspiration before a trip to Amsterdam.
This May I had to travel to Amsterdam for work for a full week. Having only seen the airport previously, I took the chance to stay over the weekend and spend some time exploring the city. It’s definitely an interesting place with a lot of photo opportunities. I spent 2,5 days exploring the city, largely by foot (I walked almost 70 kilometres). Unfortunately I caught a bad cold early during my stay, so I spent most evenings in bed after work. If I were to compare it to other cities, I’d probably characterise it as a mix between London, Paris and Venezia, although I think it takes more time to truly understand the lifestyle of a place.
Below is a collection of photos from the trip. I’ll point out a few spots that are specifically interesting from a photography perspective, hopefully this may be valuable for others looking for some inspiration before a trip to Amsterdam.
